Baltic

The trouble is that none of those wins have come in the last six races, and the recent form figures — a string of sixth, tenth, eleventh, sixth, and seventh place finishes — paint a picture of a horse that is competing without really threatening. The last win came at Newcastle in July 2024, which is now two full years ago. In racing terms, that is a long drought.

At the level Baltic typically competes at — what the sport calls Class 4, the middle tier of British racing — the horse has won just 1 from 6 attempts, or roughly 1 in every 6 races at that grade. That 17% figure suggests Baltic can do it there, but does not find it straightforward. The first career win came at Pontefract in September 2023, which is where the story properly began, and there were clearly good days after that before the current lean spell set in.

Lucy Wadham's yard has sent out 18 winners already this season, so the operation is clearly in decent health. The horses coming out of Newmarket are performing — just not Baltic, at least not lately. That said, Baltic raced as recently as yesterday and is very much an active runner, so there is no suggestion of anything being wrong. Sometimes a horse just hits a rough patch, and with five career wins already banked, there is enough evidence of ability to suggest the form could turn at any moment. Whether that moment is coming soon is the question every fan of this horse is asking.